Vow to Me: A Mafia Arranged Marriage (The Romano Empire Book 1)

Chapter Fourty-Nine

My neck aches as I wake and I replay the last few days in my mind, the pain and fucking worry I’ve felt are like nothing I’ve known.

A hand glides through my hair and my brows furrow at the movement. What the hell?

My head snaps up and my eyes widen as I make eye contact with Luca.

“You’re awake,” I breathe and tears instantly well in my eyes.

“Yeah baby, I’m awake,” he chuckles and wipes my cheek with his thumb as a tear falls down my face. The gesture is so sweet, so tender, so him, that I can’t help but let out a sob as I let relief fill my pores, he finally fucking awake.

“I’m so fucking pissed at you,” I cry and snatch his hand before he can wipe more of my tears. “You get yourself shot and then don’t wake up for days. Fucking days. Are trying to make me lose my fucking mind Luca? Are you trying to fucking punish me? Why would you do that to me, huh?”

Rather than seeming reprimanded, he barks out a laugh and shakes his head. “Fuck, I missed you, Iz,” he says in awe as he stares at me, eyes full of wonder. I must look like shit considering I haven’t left this goddamn hospital once since we arrived, I couldn’t bear to be away from him for longer than a quick trip to the bathroom.

“How are you feeling? Are you okay? Should I get a doctor? Have they checked you over? Why the fuck are you just lying awake when you should be getting examined? Why the hell didn’t you wake me up? How long have you been awake? Do you need anyt—”

“Jesus, fuck. Take a fucking breath, baby. I’m fine. Just breathe, I’m okay,” he interrupts and squeezes my hand. “I’ve been awake for two hours; I’ve been checked over and I’m alright. I didn’t wake you because Marco told me you hadn’t fucking slept in four days. What the hell, Izzy? Why didn’t you go home and sleep?” he says with a scowl.

“Like fuck was I just leaving you here!” I yell and stand before pacing beside his bed. “What if you needed me? What if something happened? What if you woke up and I wasn’t here?”

“Honestly? I thought you’d see I was awake and then get the hell out of here, I didn’t think you cared that much,” he murmurs and the vulnerable look he sends me fucking guts me.

“Are you insane!?” I wail and stop my pacing; the man is so fucking irritating. “Why the hell would I just leave?”

“You were about to ask me to sign divorce papers before I got shot Izzy, I wouldn’t blame you for leaving,” he says with a sigh and I shake my head at him, the fucking asshole.

“You’re right Luca, I was about to ask you to sign the papers,” I say and reach for my bag at the side of the bed and pull out the documents and a pen. I throw them both on the bed and give him a pointed look.

He appears physically pained as he picks up the pen and flips through the pages, signing where he needs to sign.

“It’s done,” he whispers and hands them back to me. I take them and put them back in my bag before I approach him. I grab his face with both of my hands, using my thumbs to caress his stubbled cheeks before I bring my lips to his.

He freezes for a second before he returns the kiss. It’s slow and languid, filled with pain and so much fucking love that my heart swells before he pulls away.

“Don’t break my heart like this please Izzy, just leave. I can’t have you in the same room as me knowing I can’t have all of you.”

“I’m not fucking going anywhere, asshole,” I mutter as I take a set and rest my forehead against his.

“Please,” he begs, and I sigh in frustration.

“I told you; I’m not going anywhere. I don’t want an arranged marriage Luca, I want—”

“I get it Izzy, okay? I don’t need you to give me all of the reasons I fucked up and lost you. I fucking hate myself for it as it is. I destroyed us both and it’s fucking killing me,” I pull away to stare down at him and he closes his eyes and tips his head back into the pillow. “I can’t watch you go Izzy, please just leave. I can’t do this, I can’t watch the woman I love more than anything in this fucked up world walk away, so please just leave now before I lose my fucking mind.”

“Are you going to interrupt me, or can you let me speak?” I ask and he gives me a barely perceptible nod.

“As I was fucking saying, I don’t want an arranged marriage. I want you. I want to wake up with my head buried in your chest every morning, I want evening dinners on the couch watching crappy tv, I want your laughs and your dramatic arguments, I want your punishments and your love. I want to go to sleep every night after you’ve fucked me into a coma wrapped up in your arms. I want your forehead kisses and stolen glances throughout the day. I want your annoyingly overprotective texts every ten minutes when I leave the house without you. I want you.” He just stares at me slack jawed, in disbelief and shakes his head.

“I don’t get it, you’ve just had me sign divorce papers,” he whispers.

“Because I want to do it right, I want to have a real marriage, not one of obligation. I want a wedding where I’ll walk myself down the aisle and give myself to you in front of our family and friends. I want to stand on the beach at your family’s island—where we can be closer to your mother—and vow to spend the rest of my life loving you, and in return I want you to vow to me that you’ll never let anything get in the way of us again. Vow to love me for the rest of our lives, vow to grow old with me Luca,” I plead, and a tear rolls down his cheek. I lean over and kiss it away as he whispers against my ear, “I haven’t lost you?”

“Never.” I bring my lips back to his and this time he doesn’t hesitate; he pours two weeks of tension and heartbreak into me, and I pour all my love into him in return.

“I love you so fucking much,” he murmurs against my lips, and I pull back and smile at him.

“I love you too.”

“Get the fuck in here,” he says while he pulls back the covers and I shake my head, but he just glares at me.

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“The only thing hurting right now is me not holding you. Please just get on the damn bed and fucking cuddle with me woman.”

I roll my eyes before carefully climbing into the bed next to him, taking extra care not to jostle him or touch his wound. I place my head on his chest—thankful to hear his heart beating—as he places a kiss on my head and brings his hand up to play with my hair.

“I’m so fucking sorry, Iz. For everything.”

“I know, just don’t fucking do it again,” I mumble as I fight to stay awake.

“Never baby. And I’ll never let you go. I missed you so fucking much.”

“I missed you too, Enzo is fucking annoying when your around him all the time.” His chest vibrates as he chuckles beneath me.

“Come home with me, I need you back home with me.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

He presses a kiss into my hair, and I hear his breathing change as he falls asleep. For the first time in what feels like forever, I fall asleep peacefully, with him wrapped around me.